The Unbearable Silence That Follows

by Marc Choi



The U.S. House of Representatives established the Office of the Chaplain in 1789. Among the roles of the Chaplain is to provide a daily prayer for elected members of the House. This booklet is a collection of some of those prayers—in particular, the prayers that were given on the days following mass shootings in the United States. The prayers are documented here as condemnation of the inclusion of religion within a democratically elected legislative body, and provide a lens through which to view the rhetoric of prayer in government. Over 73 mass shootings have occurred since the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007 No federal gun control legislation has been signed into law since 1994.

100% of proceeds from this booklet will be donated to Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization that fights for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence.

By Marc Choi

Published by Track and Field
First edition, 2019

RISO, Laserjet 5.5 × 8.5 inches